The 3rd Nyéléni Global Forum in Sri Lanka: A Historic Gathering for Systemic Transformation

In September 2025, the historic city of Kandy, Sri Lanka, became the epicenter of global grassroots activism as it hosted the 3rd Nyéléni Global Forum. This landmark event, held from September 6-13, 2025, at the National Institute of Co-Operative Development, brought together over 700 delegates from more than 100 countries to address the interconnected crises facing humanity today.

The Nyéléni Legacy

The Nyéléni Forum takes its name from a legendary Malian woman known for feeding her community, symbolizing the forum’s core mission of championing food sovereignty, land rights, and the fundamental right to healthy, culturally appropriate food. The third iteration came at a crucial moment as multiple overlapping crises—climate change, inequality, and social injustice—intensify globally, making unified grassroots action more urgent than ever.

A Global Convergence in Sri Lanka

The forum’s scale was unprecedented, with representatives from over 50 social movements spanning all continents in what organizers described as the world’s largest gathering of grassroots organizations focused on systemic transformation. This diverse assembly included peasant farmers, indigenous peoples, fisherfolk, pastoralists, urban food producers, agricultural workers, migrants, women’s organizations, youth movements, environmental activists, and human rights defenders.

Sri Lanka’s selection as host country was particularly significant. Having recently navigated complex socio-economic challenges, the island nation provided a poignant backdrop for discussions about resilience and transformation. Kandy’s rich cultural heritage and symbolic importance as a center of historical resistance added resonance to the proceedings.

The Sri Lankan Organizing Committee: Local Leadership for Global Change

The forum’s success was made possible through a Sri Lankan organizing committee exemplifying grassroots leadership and local ownership. Central to this effort was the Movement for Land and Agrarian Reform in Sri Lanka (MONLAR), which served as key coordinator alongside other prominent local organizations.

The National Fisheries Solidarity Movement (NAFSO), representing coastal communities and marine resource protection, brought expertise on ocean-based livelihoods. The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ), affiliated with Friends of the Earth International, contributed environmental advocacy experience highlighting interconnections between environmental degradation and community rights.

FIAN Sri Lanka provided specialized focus on the human right to food and nutrition, strengthening policy discussions. The Women’s Centre of Sri Lanka ensured gender perspectives throughout the organizing process, while the Community Educational Centre (CEC) contributed grassroots education expertise, designing participatory methodologies enabling meaningful dialogue.

The People’s Health Movement in Sri Lanka brought analysis of how corporate food control impacts public health, connecting food sovereignty to broader health justice struggles.

Preparatory meetings across Sri Lanka, including in coastal Negombo, brought together local and international organizers, ensuring the forum’s design reflected both global perspectives and local realities. The committee emphasized connecting global struggles with local conditions, drawing on Sri Lanka’s recent experiences with economic crisis and grassroots mobilization to provide valuable insights for international participants.

Building Together

One of the forum’s most remarkable aspects was its participatory construction approach. Local villagers worked alongside international delegates to build the venue together, embodying the spirit of co-creation that defined the entire event. This collaborative effort demonstrated that principles of solidarity and mutual aid were not merely discussion topics but lived practices shaping every aspect of the gathering.

Central Themes

The forum centered on several interconnected themes reflecting contemporary challenges. Food sovereignty remained central, with participants examining how corporate control over seeds, land, and food systems perpetuates hunger despite abundant resources. Climate justice emerged as critical, with movements sharing how climate change disproportionately affects marginalized communities while corporate solutions often exacerbate inequalities.

Land rights and agrarian reform featured prominently, as movements shared strategies for defending territories against extractive industries and land grabbing. Gender justice was woven throughout discussions, recognizing women’s central roles in food production while acknowledging the particular marginalization they face.

The Call for Systemic Transformation

The forum’s most significant outcome was a resounding call for systemic transformation. Participants rejected piecemeal reforms, instead articulating visions for fundamental transformation of economic, political, and social systems perpetuating inequality and environmental destruction. This wasn’t merely rhetorical but grounded in concrete analysis of how current systems function and detailed proposals for alternatives.

The declaration emphasized that meaningful transformation requires challenging not just policies but the underlying logic of systems prioritizing profit over people and planet. Discussions explored alternative economic models based on solidarity, cooperation, and ecological sustainability rather than endless growth.

Youth Leadership and Intergenerational Dialogue

The forum prominently featured young activists and emphasized intergenerational dialogue. Youth movements brought fresh perspectives on digital rights, climate activism, and contemporary organizing tools, while elder activists shared wisdom about sustaining movements through difficult periods. This exchange enriched discussions and ensured outcomes reflected both institutional memory and innovative approaches.

Looking Forward

As the forum concluded, participants are still in the process of adopting a comprehensive declaration outlining a political agenda for continued action. This represents not just principles but a roadmap for coordinated action across movements and regions, emphasizing continued mobilization, resistance to harmful policies, and construction of just alternatives demonstrating different organizational possibilities.

Participants are committed to returning to communities with renewed energy and expanded networks, recognizing that systemic transformation requires sustained collective effort beyond episodic mobilizations.

The 3rd Nyéléni Global Forum represented a historic moment in global justice struggles. By bringing together hundreds of grassroots leaders worldwide, it demonstrated both diversity and unity among movements working for systemic change. The event’s emphasis on collective decision-making and participatory democracy offered powerful examples of values movements seek to embody. The forum’s legacy lies not only in declarations but in expanded solidarity networks it fostered. In facing unprecedented challenges, the forum offered hope grounded in concrete action and collective organizing, demonstrating that another world is not only possible but already being built by millions working together for justice, sustainability, and human dignity.